Bathing suit



W. D. [DE

Dec. 2, 1930.

BATHING SUIT Fild Jan. 28, 1930 INVENTCL? 1/11/ 5: 54 d Patented Dec. 2, 1930 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE v WALTER 1). IDE, OF PIQUA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO B. V. D. COMPANY, INC. 015 BALTL- MORE, MARYLANZD, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE BATHING sun I Application filed January 28, 1930. Serial No. 423,964.

the invention is particularly adapted for use in connection with the manufacture of bath- "ing suits,- and that embodiment of the invention will be described for purposes of illustration, though it is to be understood that the utility of the invention is not limited to that particular garment.

Bathing suits of the union or one-piece type as now constructed of knitted material customarily include a trunk portion which extends well below the waistline and attached tolthis trunk portion on its inside is a pants portion secured in place by appropriate stitching. The pants portion is made of a front piece and a back piece'connected together along "their side edges and atthe crotch. In order to provide additional fullness at the rear, various expedients have been employed, but so far as I am aware, the constructions' heretofore adopted have not accomplished this object satisfactorily and provided a garment which can be worn-with complete comfort and which yields readily as the body bends.

.The object of this invention is to provide a garment of the type described in which the necessary fullness in' the pants portion is provided, the garment fitting smoothly so that it has an attractive appearance without wrinkles and at the same time yielding freely as the figure is distorted.

In the new garment, the pants portion is made of a front, a back, and a gusset. The front and back are somewhat similar in shape and each is divided to form leg mem-' bers by a cut extending upwardly from the lower end thereof. The gusset is inserted in these cuts and connected to the edges thereof, thus adding to the fullness at the lower end of the/pants portion. The front and back have side edges of substantially the same length and these are connectedto complete the garment. In addition, the back is,

longer than the front elsewhere than along the sides and it is secured to the gusset in such a way that the additional material provided by the increased length affords fullness in the back which insures that the garment may be worn comfortably under all conditions of use.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to-the accompanying drawings, in which ig. 1 is a view of the garment in front elevation with parts broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a part of the pants portion;

Fig. 3 is a similar view of a part of the back portion; 7

Fig. 4 is a view illustrating the pattern on which the front of the pants portion is cut;

Fig. 5 is a View of the pattern used in cutting the back of the pants portion; and

Fig. 6 is a gusset pattern. b

The garment is made of knitted material of the usual kind and it includes a trunk portion 10 which extends below the waistline 11 to form a skirt 12. The trunk portion is made of front and rear pieces stitched together along'the side edges, the front and back of the trunk portion being cut away to provide the usual neck opening 13 and arm openings The pants portion lies within the trunk and is secured thereto at the waistline by appropriate stitching 15. The pants portion is made up of a front and a back, the front being cut in accordance with a pattern, such as that pants portion is cut in accordance with the pattern illustrated in Fig. 5 and it terminates in divergent leg portions 19 and isidivided for a part of its length by a cut 20: It will be illustrated in Fig. 4:, terminating at its lower observed that the-side edges 21 of the front and back are of substantially thesame length but elsewhere the back is considerably longer than the front. 7

' In making the pants portion of the garment, the front and rear pieces are placed one on top of the other and united together by suitable stitching along the side edges. The inner edges 22 of the leg portions of the back are then connected by stitching to the inner edges 23 of the leg portions of the front. A gusset 24 is then placed in position with its short end 25 lying between the edges of the cut 17 in the front and stitched thereto. The long end 26 of the gusset is then placed between the side edges of the cut 20in the back and secured to those edges, the gusset extending around the crotch in the usual manner. The insertion of the gusset in the manner described adds to the fullness of the back by the width of the long end of the gusset. Similarly since the back is longer than the front and the edges 22 of the back are connected to the edges 23 of the front, the additional material present because of the greater length of the back is forced backwardly upwardly to provide fullness in the region designated 27 (Fig. 3). This fullness is required by the natural conformation of the figure and when the parts are secured together in the manner described, the back of the pants portion is substantially fuller. than the front, the fullness being distributed in a proper manner at the place where it is required.

If desired, the pants portion may be made without leg portions 19, the goods being out along the lower ends of the pattern on the lines 28 and 29. \Vhen so formed, the pants are slightly shorterthan in the construction heretofore described but in each, instance, the back is longer than the front elsewherethan at the side edges and the additional material thus provided is distributed to increase the fullness of the back.

The garment is finished in the ordinary way by the formation of hems at the neck opening and arm holes and the ends of the leg members are similarly hemmed by turning back and stitching the goods in the usual way. Preferably the gusset is reinforced by a tape 30 which is placed over the seam between the edges of the gusset and those parts of the front and back to which thevgusset is connected. This tape, although of inelastic material, does not interfere with the stretching and yielding of the garment, since the tape interferes with stretchmg onlyin a vertical direction, and the garment is required normally to yield hori -zontally when in use. If desired, and to mak a stronger garment, the gusset may be double,

the two pieces being out according to the pattern shown in Fig. 6 and secured in place in the manner described.

What I claim is:

1. A garment which comprises a trunk portion and a. pants portion connected to said trunk portion, the pants portion comprising a front divided to form leg members, a back having a straight horizontal top and divided to form leg members, and a gussetlying between the divided parts of the front and back, the front and back having side edges of substantially the same length connected together, the back elsewhere than at the side edges being longer than the front.

2. A garment which comprises a trunk portion and a pants portion secured thereto at the waistline, the pants portion comprising a front divided at its lower end to form leg members, a back having a straight horizontal top, and divided at its lower end to form leg members, a gusset in the crotch of the pants portion and connected to the divided parts of the front and back, the rear end of the gusset lying nearer the waistline than the front end, and the back being longer than the front elsewhere than at the side edges of the back.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

WALTER D. IDE.

, (Seat) cnmmcarn or CORRECTICN. A 0

Patent No. 1,783,174. Granted December-2, 1930," to

warren 1). DE.

It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee in the above numbered patentwas erroneously written. and printed as "B. V. D. Company, Inc. where as said name should have been written and 'printed. as The. B. V. D. Company, Inc., as shown by the records of assignments in this office; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this. correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed andsealed this 13th day of January, A. D. i931.

M. J. Moore, -Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

